James weir graydon



2 sheetssheet -1.

Patented Oct. 3, I1893.

UNTTED STATES PATENT EErcE.

JAMES WEIR GRAYDON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM F.

' CODY. l

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterslPatent No. 505,879, dated October 3, 1893. Application filed September 30,' 1892. Serial No. 447,412. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WEIR GRAYDON, late lleutenant United States Navy, a citizen of the United States, residing atl Burlington,

Gardens, London, En gland,have invented new and useful Improvements in Signaling Ap,-

1p aratus, of which the following is a specificaion. l

This invention has relation to apparatus a frame as to be capable of being turned on a pivot at top and at bottom. This frame which I call the swing frame is 'mounted at each end with a pivot in anwadjustable sliding bearing. By means of a'hand wheel on one of the pivots the swing frame can be adjusted in any position around its axis. The sliding bearings are mounted so as to slide up or down on a frame which I call the turntable frame and which can be turned around its vertical axis upon a foundation plate. The latter is for some uses stationary and for others portable and then provided with wheels for traveling.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a part sectional front view and Fig. 2 an end view of an apparatus containing as an example one row of four light-projecting cylinders. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of one such cylinder. Fig. 4 is a front view of a double row of light proj ecting cylinders with six of same in each row. Fig. 5 shows a luminous advertisement thrown upon a cloud.

Each light projectingcylinder consistsy mainly of two parts A and B sliding one upon the other telescopically and adjustable by means of the screws C, a hand wheel C on one of them, and an endless cord and pulleys O2. In the rear part of the cylinder are the car- 5o bons D for an ordinary electric arc light which is operated from a dynamo or other sourceof electricity. The back of the part A has a concave mirror E. In the front of the part B is fixed a Fresnel lensFtoi-other suitable condensing lens-)T Tfront of this lens the cylinder is formed with a ring F having a vertical or transverse slot in it adapted to receive the slide F2 containing a white or 'colored transparency such as a picture, letter, signal or other device which is to be projected. The transparency may in some cases have the device transparent and in other cases the background transparent. Each cylinder has an upper and lower pivot B which work in the swing frame G and can be adjusted therein by the hand-wheel B2. The swing frame G has at each end a pivot G on one of which is fixed the hand wheel G2 for adjustment of the swing frame. The pivots G lwork in the sliding bearings H which are mounted on the turntable frame I. The swing frame can be canted as desired relatively to the frameI by means of one or other of the adjusting screws K which are provided with handwheel K. The bearings I-I are oval at their outer ends to allow for the canting and are for the saine reason jointed to the nuts K2 for the screws K. The turntable frame I may or may not have a central pivot I and can be worked around its vertical axis by means ofone or more tooth wheels L which can travel on a circular tooth rack M of the foundation plate M. This latter may be stationary or on wheels. I have shown suitable means for effecting the various adjustments but any other mechanical equivalents may of course be employed for the purpose. By means of this apparatus when a slide F2 is inserted in each cylinder the picture ordevice on the slide can be projected in the directionV of any part of the heavens and thus upon a cloud in any part thereof. If for example the slides together make up the wordsY Beechams Pills I first direct the apparatus toward the cloud by means of the various adjusting wheels and then adjust the central cylinders to project to the right point in the cloud. The other cylinders are then by means of the wheels B2 so adjusted that their slides bring the letters IOO at the desired distance from each other. Fig. 5 shows the eld formed upon the background ot a cloud, such field containing or forming a display of an advertisement.

Any combination of numbers of cylinders may be arranged in one frame to form an eX- tended high or long field of display for luini` nous advertisements, the words being arranged in one or more rows. The whole eld of display is moreover capable ot' sweeping the heavens in all directions horizontally vertically or at any angle.

The letters on the slides may be transparent on an opaque ground or opaque on a transparent ground. Moreover the transparent part of the slide may be in various colors.

In order in clear Weather to form a suitable background for throwing the lnminousdevice thereupon` I may by means of'smoke rockets or otherwise form a smoke rcloud upon which I project the luminous device.` I may also project the luminous device upon the light beam from an electric light projector providing that such beam is of a suitable color to form a background for the luminous device the two being of 'different colors.

One person can manage the Whole of the apparatus. By this apparatus signal symbols or letters or other devices, portraits, landscapes, seascapcs, igures in White or other colors, political or any other news, stock quotations, results of races, elections or any other announcements may be given an immense sphere of publicity. Its application to military and naval signaling is also very extended whether during battles or otherwise for issuing and receiving orders, and that at greater distances than heretofore possible.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is- D '1. In asignaling apparatus, a group ot light projectors adjustable independently about` vertical axes and simultaneously about horizontal aXes. i

2. In asignaling apparatus, agroup of light projectors adjustable independently about vertical axes and simultaneously about horizontal axes, each projector adapted to project a signal or signal symbol, an independent source of light for each of said projectors, and adjusting devices for adjusting the focal distance of the projectors.

' 3. In asignaling apparatus, a group of light projectors revoluble independently about vertical aXes and about a horizontal and vertical axis common to all said projectors, for the purpose set forth.

et. In a signaling apparatus, a frame adjustable about a horizontal axis, and a group of light projectors adjustable in said frame aboutindependent vertical axes, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a signaling apparatus, a frame adjustable about a'horizontal axis, and a group of light projectors adjustable in said frame bout independent vertical axes, in combination With a supporting frame adjustable abouta verticalaxis, for the purpose setforth.

6. In a signaling apparatus, a supporting frame revoluble about a vertical axis, a proj ector frame adjustable vertically as Well as about a horizontal axis in said supporting frame and a group ot'light projectors adjustable about independent vertical axes,\for the purpose set forth.`

JAMES VVEIR-GRAYDON.

Witnesses:

T. J. OsMAN, T. F. BARNES. i 

